Thursday, January 19, 2012

Way back in the day, I did a blog post about Audrey's nursery. If I can figure out how to link this correctly, you can view that post by clicking here. Two nurseries later, I think it's time to do a blog update of the kids' current abode.

If the room has a theme, the theme would be bright and colorful.

Here is Bud atop our $30 Ikea rug, which has weathered two years of use and is still going strong. The white does require frequent vacuuming though.

Audrey looking out her bedroom window. I have found the curtains for the room, but I still haven't gotten around to measure and order them. I'm sorta preoccupied with just about everything else right now.

We got these chairs at a garage sale for $2 each! They are also available at Ikea.

Audrey in front of her bed, which she doesn't sleep in. Alex found the Pottery Barn bed on Craigslist. This makes Audrey's furniture officially the nicest in the house. A Coney Island poster (a remnant from her first nursery) hangs above it.

The wall with the windows is a bright blue; all the other walls are this spearmint color.

Most of Audrey and Bud's toys are contained in either this Ikea bookcase or a brown replica we have downstairs. If the toys don't fit in the storage bins, then we don't keep them. I am constantly going through their toys and donating to the Goodwill. Also, as I am writing this, Audrey is running back and forth across the house and flinging herself onto the couch cushions. These kids don't need toys to have a good time, not with all of this furniture to destroy.

Which brings me to the crib. Audrey still sleeps in her crib. There are multiple reasons for this; the main reason is Audrey sleeps really well in it. As in, she goes to bed about 6pm and gets up a solid twelve hours later. It's a system I am little loathe to disrupt. However, Bud will need the crib sooner or later (right now he sleeps between me and Alex) and then we will make the transition. Also, this whole discussion is ridiculous because there is no way I'm putting Bud in his crib. I'm just not ready.

Although we have a three bedroom house, we plan on having Audrey and Bud share a room. I think room sharing fosters the sibling relationship and, more importantly, it keeps stuff down to a minimum. The future room sharing has also made keeping the decor gender neutral more of a priority than it would have been. It took me quite awhile to find a bedding set I felt was appropriate. While I have no problem with pink, I do have a problem with what is "pinkified." Boys stuff seems to always be about adventure and excitement, whereas I find girl stuff seems to be about shopping and beauty. And this I find infuriating. However, I eventually found a great mod spaceship bedding set from Target. While officially it is from the boys department, Audrey seems to be using it without breaking out in any cooties.

I have no idea what Audrey is doing in this pic.

A basket of books are within easy reach, as are all the toys. This is supposed to be the Montessori-style of toy/book display, but we do it because it is the clearly the most logical.

When we first moved into our new house (a move that occurred ten days before my scheduled c-section and felt less like a move and more like a crash landing), we decided to practice our home decorating skills on Audrey's room. We figured we could make some rookie mistakes and nobody would really notice or care. And while mistakes were definitely made, perhaps the biggest mistake was thinking that after HGTVing Audrey's room, we would move right along and sparkle up the rest of the house. Instead, exhausted, we've slowly put the rest of the house together, but painting and sparkle will probably have to wait until summer. So keep your fingers crossed and hopefully this time next year you will be reading a blog post about our wondrous new guest room.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Bud, at the ripe old age of almost eight months, pulled himself up this morning!

Bud's motor development has been astounding us all. He's crawling all over place. He does this funny little move where he lifts his body off the floor into a perfect pilates plank. He gets into everything and then attempts to climb it.

And, yes, mom, I know I'm not supposed to compare the two, but Audrey wasn't pulling herself up until about thirteen months. I think there are two reasons for the disparity. First, while Audrey didn't pull herself up until relatively late, she did this goofy move where she would attempt to stand from sitting. She would just sorta rise from the ground. She didn't want any help, no way!

Second, and most importantly, Bud wants to do everything Big Sister does. And if that means developing his gross motor skills faster than his ability to understand the dangers of falling, so be it.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Back in the day, I did an awesome post about a typical day at home with wee Audrey. I thought it would be fun to do a follow up post some two years later. (Two years! Time! It's flying!) Oh, and how things have changed. Two years ago I was a stay at home mom, leisurely working on my dissertation and anxiously caring for our first born. Now, I have a full time position at UConn, furiously finishing my dissertation and anxiously caring for our first and second born.

Around 5.30ish, I wake up in the mornings next to a cuddly Bud. He's always all smiles and all love.

Mostly.

Audrey usually wakes up a bit later, around 6.30ish.

Breakfast!

Audrey and Bud playing with the dollhouse.

They play really well together, which is wonderful.

Next up: Snacktime!

Bud loves, loves, loves his solids. Unfortunately, his love for solids has been at the expense of drinking milk. He still nurses like a champ when at home, but at daycare, he all but refuses his bottle. This doesn't help my anxiety about the new four day a week daycare schedule. At all.

Audrey and her snack. Look how well she ignores her cheese, which she has shuttled off to the far right.

Next up, we head up stairs to play in their bedroom.

Again, they play super well together.

I'm waiting for the groceries to be delivered. After they arrive, Audrey helps unpack the strawberries.

I plop the kids down in front of the tv, while I pack lunches for the week. I usually do Audrey's lunches all at once.

Behold!

Black beans, apple sauce, veggies sticks and goldfish, yogurt, and muffins. Usually her lunch would include fresh fruit, but as the previous picture shows, we are suddenly out of strawberries.

Saturday, January 7, 2012

I'm usually rather blase about birthdays. But this year, I've been a wee bit anxious about turning thirty-five. Alex, as the previous post shows, went all gangbusters and ensured that this birthday would ease all tension and make me feel giddy as a thirty-four year old.

This day of all days began with sleeping in until almost seven! Then Alex made waffles! bacon! coffee! Presents were opened, thanks expressed. We pajamed for awhile. (In honor of my birthday, I've decided to make "pajama" a verb). Then we had cake! mimosas! And then we were off for an afternoon at the park.

Bud doing the cute thing.

Audrey doing the pine cone thing.

Sharing.

Falling.

Fell.

The afternoon ended as everything always ends in the Millerverse . . .

. . . with total Audrey domination.

Thanks everyone for making my birthday so special. I'd like to give a big shout out to my husband; he knows I like my mimosas strong and my clothes from Banana Republic. You're the best.